Reward Funding appoints Nick Smith as chief executive officer
Reward Funding has announced that group managing director, Nick Smith, has been appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) marking the next phase of the company’s continued growth and strategic development. David Harrop, group financial director, has also been promoted to chief financial officer (CFO).
Nick has been a central figure in the business for a decade, playing a leading role in scaling Reward’s lending platform, strengthening its presence across the UK and driving forward its renewed strategic proposition. Alongside stepping into the CEO role, Smith has also become a shareholder in the business, a move that reinforces Reward’s commitment to long-term leadership and aligned growth.
His appointment follows a year of significant progress for Reward. In 2025, the business was named among The Sunday Times’ ‘Best Places to Work’ for the second consecutive year, recognising Reward’s ongoing focus on building a strong workplace culture and creating an environment for people to grow and succeed.
The business also surpassed a major milestone, surpassing a £350m loan book landmark for the first time in its 15-year history. Since launching, Reward has backed more than £1.45bn of ambition across over 2,000 clients, helping SMEs unlock opportunities that traditional funding models often struggle to support.
In addition, 2025 saw Reward strengthen its regional presence, onboarding new team members across the Midlands, Greater London and the North East. Supporting increased deal activity and evolving economic pressures for SMEs, the additions vastly improved funding accessibility for introducers and their SME clients.
Nick Smith, chief executive officer at Reward Funding, said: “After a record 2025, this year is already off to a great start, and I couldn’t be prouder to be taking on the CEO role at this pivotal time for Reward. The progress we have made reflects the strength of our team, the trust of our introducers and the resilience of the businesses we support every day.”
“The current climate is tough for SMEs and we’re here to support them. The simple truth for SMEs is that volatility delays decisions, tightens cashflow and stifles growth. As the original alternative finance provider, Reward was built to move faster than traditional funding models. Our job is simple, give ambitious businesses the speed and flexibility they need to seize opportunity.”
David Harrop, chief financial officer, added: “Following our successful institutional capital raise in 2025, we have posted another 12 months of profitable growth and sit with significant committed funds to deploy to support our SME clients. My job as CFO is to ensure Reward continues to scale responsibly by delivering the strong financial backing our customers rely on. In challenging times we deliver funding certainty.”